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Vendor Information

FAQs

Below are the questions most asked by vendors. Please note, not all questions will apply to all vendors.

Q: What are the monitoring reports and what if we do not have any?
A: The monitoring reports would be reports we generated for you, if you previously held a BPA contract with us. If you do not have any, just indicate that.

Q: Who do you want us to use as references and can we use US Probation and Pretrial Services as a reference?
A: With respect to references, you cannot use us. You can use any other company or local CSO for whom you provide services. We are not looking for individual clients you have served.

Q: Regarding the background statement in section d- Copies of compliance with all federal, state and local fire safety and health codes. Vendor has had multiple site inspections but does not have specific copies of compliance. How should they address this section?
A: Provide copies of any certificates or any documentation that the vendor has passed any inspections within the last year; particularly the fire safety inspections and for vendors dealing with food service, any health inspections. State fire code inspections must be included.

Q: RFP Attachment D References: My agency/private practice is relatively new and private so can't provide the required info, can use people who worked for who can attest to my abilities or how do handle this section?
A: You may list as your references, people and/or agencies you worked for, however, do not list individual clients.

Q: You did not include a UA project code or an MRT (manualized cognitive behavioral group counseling) as a service to bid on. Should we add it in?
A: If we did not include a certain project code, it is because we do not, or no longer require that service. Please do not add in any services we did not originally list on the RFP.

Q: Can defendants/offenders attend the same treatment groups with established clients, or do they require their own group?
A: Federal clients can attend groups with other established clients. They do not require their own separate groups. Federal client files, however, must be kept separately from all other client files.

Q: Can assessing agency also provide treatment or must they refer if they are the assessor?
A: In all cases we have included a project code for the assessment and project codes for individual and group treatment. In other words, the same agency can do the assessment as well as the recommended treatment.

Q: When completing the proposal, is the supplied documentation pages to be completed filling in blanks (such as from page B-2 of 2) or do we create our own document?
A: You can either fill in the blanks on the document we sent you, or you can create your own. However, if creating your own, be careful to include all required information provided in the RFP or you run the risk of being found technically unacceptable.

Q: Regarding Short-term Residential Treatment, the RFP specifies that this cannot exceed 90 days. Are there a minimum number of days the client must stay at our facility?
A: While we set the maximum number of days a client can be in inpatient treatment, there is no minimum number of days a client must stay at the treatment center.

Q: I understand you will supply all the collection materials for UA's. Will you also be paying the lab processing fees?
A: Yes, we will supply all of the collection materials for UA's and we will set up and pay for all shipping supplies and costs.

Q: Will the mental health treatment provider be expected to have the capacity to provide specialized (State certified) treatment of paraphilias (sexual deviancy disorders)?
A: No. We specifically contract for sex offender treatment services.

Q: In doing the form Program Discharge Summary Profile does the word program mean the probation clients only, such in questions 2, 3, etc. or does it mean all of our client base. If we did the evaluation and then the treatment are they to be counted as only one client or would they count as two clients?
A: The Program Discharge Summary Profile is for past and current Probation clients only. Evaluation and treatment with the same client would count as one client.

Q: L-9 attachment A is the Certification of Compliance Statement. I have questions on how to fill it out.  For subcontractors, what name goes in each of the two blanks on this form? And who signs the form? Does the subcontracting person or agency put their name in both blanks and the authorized person to sign for the subcontracting entity sign it? Or is the name of the offeror supposed to go in one of the blanks and then the offeror signs the form?
A: You will want to photocopy Attachment A and you fill it out with your name in both spaces and you sign one copy, then you do the same with each subcontractor, putting their names in both spaces and you sign certifying on behalf of your sub-contractor.

Q: Case Management – Does client have to be present to bill for this service?
A: Please also see the RFPs for each required section where a description of the services and requirements are listed.  “Only face-to-face contacts with the defendant/offender are billed and emergency phone calls are included in the basic unit price.”

Q: Electronic Files – Are separate files required for US Probation Files if our files are electronic?
A: Please see Section C for a complete description (9. Deliverables). “If information is maintained electronically, the vendor shall make a hard copy of all files available for review immediately upon request of the USPO/USPSO designee”.  Also see File Content section in Section C.  ***The contracting officer or designee will conduct periodic site visits that will include a review of US Probation client files.  Hard copy files on US probation clients are to be kept separate from other non-US probation client files.

Q: References- Are they also required for staff?
A: No, the main/primary offeror does not need to submit references for staff members.  Staff Qualifications are referenced in Attachment C, which also applies to subcontractors.  Please refer to Section L for a complete description and for additional instructions.  Also, refer to attachments and instructions as they relate to submission of requirements for sub-contractors.

Q: Is Urine Testing included in the substance abuse contract?
A: No, urine testing is a separate RFP, non-competitive, for one year.  If an agency or provider is interested in providing urine collection services, please contact Sr. USPO Yolanda Pearson.

Q: Copayments- are we required to bill clients for these?  Are special procedures required to report Copayments collected?
A: Please see Section C for a complete description (Defendant/Offender Reimbursement and Co-Payment).  Yes, receipts for collection of copayments are to be provided to the: Probation Office, the offender/defendant, and 1 maintained in the vendor file. Copayments received are to be reported on the monthly billing/invoices and on the Monthly Treatment Services report.

Q: Psychiatric- states a psychiatrist or MD? Does physician have to be a psychiatrist?
A: Please refer to the requirements listed for CODE 5030 in the RFP.  “The purpose for this type of evaluation is to establish a psychiatric diagnosis, to determine the need for psychotropic medications and / or to develop an initial treatment plan that may be needed to ensure the defendant / offender’s safety to that of the community.” Also refer to the specific requirements of the 5030 Report.

Q: How many females can we expect for residential treatment in a year?
A: There is no guaranteed number of referrals.  Please refer to EMQs that are listed.  EMQ’s are only an estimate and do not obligate the government.

Q: Explain medications and medication administration.
A: The requirements and definitions for Codes 6040, 6041, 6050, 6051 and 4010 and 4020 are listed in the psychiatry RFPs for each catchment area.

Q: Prob 45 – Will we receive another 45 if services are terminated?
A: Yes, the U.S. Probation Office will provide Closing/Terminated Prob 45s to the provider.

Q: I can perform psychosexual evaluations; however, I cannot do psychological testing.  How do I go about putting that under psychiatric/psychological evaluation section?
A: For service items that the Offeror will be subcontracting, the Offeror shall insert the letter "S" following the price inserted in the Unit Price column. Services referred to another vendor shall be considered subcontracting and shall require the "S" designation.

Q: Since we are a private practice, we have not had any monitoring for the background.  What does our background statement need to say?
A: If the Offeror is not able to provide copies of monitoring reports, certifications or letters due to a private practice or other documented reasons, the Offeror must expressly state so in its proposal for this area. To be considered technically acceptable an Offeror must have received ratings of satisfactory or higher or have expressly stated in its proposals that it is a private practice and does not have access to monitoring reports, certificates or letters.  Also, see section L – Preparation of Background Statement.

Q: Can an intern provide services?
A: Only use paraprofessionals under the supervision of a staff member who meets the requirements described for practitioners providing clinical counseling services, and after obtaining the approval of the contracting officer or designee. Interns may be considered paraprofessionals. See also Section C – Staff Qualifications

Q: Can I send one packet in for two RFPs?
A: A separate submission must be sent for each Request for Proposal.

Q: Do the mental health service and the substance abuse need to be in separate groups as the workbooks we use for these programs are different workbooks but same level and often in the same groups together? 
A: No.  For CBT, groups may be combined as long as the appropriate intervention/workbook is used (See Section C) and invoicing is submitted in accordance with Section G.

Q: The substance use CBT group just requires the facilitator be certified in the curriculum, but the mental health CBT group requires the facilitator to be licensed. Is this accurate regardless of the curriculum being used? 
A: The facilitator’s requirements are correct. Please see Section C in the Request for Proposal for more information on vendor qualifications and requirements.

Q: Do the people providing the mental health service need to be licensed in Alabama or just the state the service is being provided remotely?
A: Mental Health Counseling, i.e., 6010, 6020, 6021, 6028, and 6030 are provided by a licensed/certified psychiatrist, psychologist, or masters or doctoral level practitioner who meets the standards of practice to perform psychotherapy/counseling services as established by his/her state’s regulatory board.  These services could also be conducted by a provisionally licensed masters or doctoral level clinician under the supervision of a licensed professional, in accordance with state licensing standards.

Q: If providing services remotely, do we need to include all the information about site visits and things we need to have on site?
A: You must provide all the required items stated in the Request for Proposal. 

Do we provide two separate bids for the north and south cbt rfps?
A: A separate submission must be sent for each Request for Proposal.